CHAPTER 12 #2
I shake my head. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Axle and I wanted you both to know, so that you know to keep vigilant. I’ll speak to Jake and get all the information I can from him. It may be that we’re overreacting and it’s not the same family. It could all be a coincidence.”
Honor’s lips tighten. “But you don’t believe in coincidence.”
I shake my head, my eyes catching and holding hers. “I don’t, baby. I’m sorry, but I have a feeling that this isn’t random.”
Angel leans over the breakfast bar and grips Honor’s hand. Her focus is on me. “What do you need us to do?”
I breathe a sigh of relief that they’re willing to work with me. “Don’t go anywhere alone. Stay armed and vigilant. Try not to leave the clubhouse grounds until I find out what’s going on.”
Angel nods. “We’ll have to let Siera and the girls know. I don’t want them in danger.”
Axle cups Angel’s cheek, tilting her face to his. “We won’t let anything happen to them. We’ll move them here if we have to. For now let’s bring them, Jake, and North up to speed. We’ll let Spook do his thing and check Milo Mulally out. We’ll ask Jake if he knows him. Then we’ll make a game plan.”
Angel's lip quivers, and tears fill her eyes when she looks at us. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “It’s all my fault.”
Honor slides off her stool and goes to Angel.
Wrapping her arms around her, she hugs her tight.
“Stop that,” she tells Angel fiercely. “It’s not your fault!
This all started when you were a baby. You had no control, and you’ve lost plenty because of it.
Axle and Luca are right. We don’t have enough information yet. In the meantime, we’ll be careful.”
Angel inhales a shaky breath; she squeezes Honor, then sits up and wipes the tears from her cheeks.
“You’re right. They’ve taken enough.” She turns her attention to me. “Find out what you can.”
Honor comes back to my side, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders pulling her close to me. “I will. In the meantime, I’d like you all to wear trackers, and we’ll also track your phones.”
“Whatever you need,” Angel agrees without hesitation. I peer down at Honor when she nods.
“Told you honey, I’ll do whatever it is you need me to. You want to track me. Go right ahead. It would make me feel better if you did. I’m assuming you track the boys?”
“Yeah, baby, I do.”
“Good, now how about we all take a breath. You guys contact Jake. Have everyone come here tonight. Angel and I’ll cook dinner and then we can make plans.” She looks over at Axle and Angel before continuing. “As a family.”
Emotion flashes over Axle’s face at her words. He closes his eyes, and his lips tighten. Only when he’s back in control, does he open his eyes. The happiness in them is a stark comparison to the earlier anguish.
Angel lets out a small sob that she bites back before she smiles a blinding smile.
“As a family,” she agrees. Clearing her throat, she stands.
“I’ll go and empty our fridge and bring over what I’ve got.
Between us we’ll make something.” She stands on tiptoe, kissing Axle’s cheek. “Love you, Garrett.”
His eyes soften as he looks down at his Ol’ Lady. “Love you too, darlin’. I’ll be over shortly to give you a hand to carry the groceries over.”
Angel gives him a small nod before walking out of the kitchen with quick steps. None of us miss the way her shoulders are shaking.
Axle walks around the breakfast bar, wrapping Honor in his arms. “Thank you sweetheart. You don’t know what you calling us family means to me and Angel.”
“Fuck,” I mouth as emotion hits my eyes, and I turn away. I can’t imagine how it must feel to Axle and Angel to get this chance with Honor. I hate how much of her life they missed. I’d make it my priority that they wouldn’t miss a second more.
“My mom and dad always said, you could never have enough family,” Honor smiles mistily up at Axle. “They’d be happy I found you.”
Axle kisses her forehead. “I wish I could have met them. They sound like wonderful people. They must have been, because you’re a pretty fantastic person.”
Honor’s smile widens as Axle steps back. “Thank you, Axle.”
I move closer when Honor reaches for me. Axle’s eyes move from me to her. He exhales slowly, clearing his throat. “I’ll go and help Angel pack the groceries, and I’ll call Jake if she hasn’t already.”
“Sounds good. We’ll make a plan,” I reassure him. “Our families will be kept safe.”
“Damn right, we will,” Honor says, her voice calm but resolute. “I’m not letting anyone interfere with what we’re building.”
She’s not wrong. Nobody would be touching them not if they didn’t want to find themselves dead and buried.
That resolve is only firmed later that night when I look at all the people milling around my house. Until this moment, I hadn’t realised what having family meant. I hadn’t grown up in a normal, loving one. The closest I had, was Maverick and his family.
The Mondes were something else. None had batted an eye when we’d filled them in on the situation. Just battened down and made plans to keep everyone safe. The love they felt for each other was clear. Not all were related by blood. That meant nothing to them.
I’d been a teenager when I realised that blood did not necessarily mean family.
Loyalty, having each other’s backs, and being willing to die for one another. That was family. I’d include my MC brothers in that. None of us were related in any way, but we’d lay down and die for each other.
If Milo Mulally was a threat, he’d soon find out that I didn’t play nice with those who wanted to harm what I considered mine.